TNI to withdraw troops from Poso

PALU, Southeast Sulawesi: The Indonesian Military (TNI) will withdraw some 1,000 soldiers from Poso by the end of this year, a local military commander said on Monday.

"The troops will be withdrawn after the Sept. 20 election runoff and the Poso regental election in November," Poso Military District commander Lt. Col. IGK Gunawan said.

An additional 997 soldiers have been deployed here since March 2004 as reinforcement to local security.

Poso regency and the neighboring regencies of Morowali and Tojo-Unauna have been the site of a three-year sectarian conflict that ended in 2003 with a government-sponsored peace pact, but sporadic attacks have continued to the present. -- Antara